The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium.
In a conventional image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed by an image forming portion, and is transferred to a belt-shaped intermediate transfer body at a primary transfer portion. Then, at a secondary transfer portion, the intermediate transfer body contacts a recording medium conveyed by a conveying unit, and the toner image is transferred to the recording medium by Coulomb force (see, Patent Document No. 1).
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-134141 (paragraphs 0013-0019, FIG. 1)
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, when the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer body to the recording medium at the secondary transfer portion, an electrical discharge may occur between the intermediate transfer body (bearing the toner image) and the recording medium. Such an electrical discharge may cause transfer scattering (i.e., scattering of toner), and therefore image defects may occur.